YL Capernaum Everywhere

Young Life Capernaum is 35!   In celebration of this anniversary, we will be highlighting important voices in Capernaum and the mission of YL to share the impact of the ministry in the past, present, and future.   Today, we hear from the President of Young Life, Newt Crenshaw! ........................... I believe that our Capernaum ministry has expanded the soul of Young Life over the past 35 years by opening our eyes to see and live in the world differently. We are welcoming those around us with disabilities into our family as dear friends in Christ who have much to teach us about true and gentle discipleship. Over the past four years, one of the best books I have read was  Becoming Friends of Time: Disability, Timefullness, and Gentle Discipleship  by John Swinton. Swinton’s longstanding work with friends who have disabilities has been the context for his perspective-changing book. I have told many colleagues that his words led me to repenting of how I often see a...

Young Life Capernaum is 35!   In celebration of this anniversary, we will be highlighting important voices in Capernaum and the mission of YL to share the impact of the ministry in the past, present, and future.   Today, we hear from the VP of Young Life Capernaum, Pam Harmon! ............................. How have you seen Capernaum impact the mission of Young Life over the past 35 years? Nick Palermo began Capernaum in 1986 in San Jose, CA when the Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see students with disabilities who were being left out and isolated from most of the fun social experiences of high school. He began a journey of listening and learning from his new friends in order to create Young Life environments that could include his new friends with disabilities alongside his other high school friends. Nick and a small group of adults in San Jose began to pray that someday there would be Capernaum around the world. When I began working for Young Life in 2000, there were zero Yo...

Young Life Capernaum turns 35 on March 10, 2021!   In celebration of this anniversary we will be highlighting important voices in Capernaum and the mission of YL to share the impact of the ministry in the past, present and future.   Today we kick off the series with reflections from Capernaum’s founder, Nick Palermo! …………………………… How have you seen Capernaum impact the mission of Young Life over the past 35 years? The impact on Young Life by Capernaum is dramatic. I think I can actually sum it up by remembering the first time I took kids to camp 35 years ago. I was not expecting that the presence of 10 kids in wheelchairs would literally change the entire camp. It would affect the property staff, assignment team, leaders and all the other kids at camp too. Dozens of kids would come to know Christ because of the presence of our friends in wheelchairs. I saw the power of mutual ministry that this was not just a ministry to kids with disabilities, but a ministry with kids with disa...